It is a sure sign that the holidays are almost here. The mayor's Christmas tree arrived in Kansas City Thursday morning.

The 100-foot-tall Douglas fir, which was donated by Cascade Timber Consulting, received a police escort to 25th Street and Grand Boulevard. The tree was harvested from a commercial forest near Sweet Home, Oregon.

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Most of the branches were removed from the tree in order to make the trip. It will be reassembled, decorated and hoisted into place to prepare for the lighting ceremony on the night after Thanksgiving.

A 137-year-old tradition, the tree calls attention to the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund, a nonprofit organization by helping make sure needy senior citizens, disabled and children are not left out during the holidays.

"They're not a huge part of the popular, but they're 100 percent of the future," said Mayor Sly James, of the children being helped.

He said the fund will throw holiday parties and provide gifts for people to let them know they are important.

"I think if we engage with them more, spend more time with them, they will be extremely productive citizens. We should never let a child go to waste in our city," James said.

Money for the fund is also raised through the sale of Christmas tree ornaments made from the lumber of the previous year's tree. The ornaments are $13.95 each and are available at the customer service desk in the Crown Center Shops.